Simon Maroko - February 19 & 26, 1986
Becomes Israeli Citizen
Were you--had you decided at that point to become an Israeli citizen?
At that time I was a complete Zionist, which I am still, up to a point. And uh, I wanted to stay there. I either would stay a member of the kibbutz, but at least I, I, I thought I would stay there. I became somewhat dis...disillusioned later on when uh, I found out number one that the chances of me finding a life partner in the kibbutz were very slim. There's just no... I tried but it didn't work out. And uh, also when I found out that uh, my chances of ever becoming a doctor were completely nil if I would stay in the kibbutz. It never entered their mind that it would be a nice investment if they had sent me to the medical school in Jerusalem at that time. In fact I tri...when I was already uh, married, my father-in-law, who was a physician and uh, at one time the president of Kudat Cholim Jerusalem, he tried to get me into medical school in Jerusalem. And it was just impossible. So I had to study elsewhere.
So you met your life partner...
I met my life partner...
in Israel.
not in the kibbutz but in a different kibbutz after I left this one. But I already had gone out of the kibbutz. After I left the kibbutz uh, I served about thirteen month in the Tzahal. I was--ended up in the Air Force um, taking care of batteries, charging batteries. And they offered me to sign up, which I declined. And uh, then I was working in the trade that I had learned when I was in the kibbutz, which was first being a plumber, installator as they call it there and after that as an electrician. And I worked for an electric uh, contractor in Kibbutz Mishmarot and we were working there six days a week. And we were eating there in the kibbutz. And one day um, someone said, "Hey, there's over there a young lady who has a sister-in-law who's from Holland." So I went up to talk and the rest is history. She became my life partner.
This is Ruth.
Right.
© Board of Regents University of Michigan-Dearborn